US4954211AExpiredUtility

Monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate laser material

37
Assignee: LITTON SYSTEMS INCPriority: Mar 4, 1988Filed: Mar 4, 1988Granted: Sep 4, 1990
Est. expiryMar 4, 2008(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority
Inventors:Roger F. BeltRobert Uhrin
C30B 15/00C30B 29/24
37
PatentIndex Score
4
Cited by
17
References
71
Claims

Abstract

Doped lanthanum orthogallate laser materials produced in the form of large perovskite-type doped single crystals are disclosed. Doped single crystals of lanthanum orthogallate are grown from a pure melt of lanthanum oxide, gallium oxide and dopant oxide while controlling the major crystallographic direction of solidification. Dopants are selected from the rare earth series elements, first transition series elements and actinide series elements.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified
We claim: 
     
       1. A laser rod composed of monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate grown from a pure melt along a predetermined crystallographic direction and doped with an impurity ion that functions as a laser activator, said laser rod having a wavefront distortion <1/8λ per cm length at the lasing wavelength (λ) and an optical loss <0.005 per cm length. 
     
     
       2. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum gallate of claim 1 wherein the impurity ion that functions as a laser activator is selected from the group consiting of rare earth series elements, first transition series elements, actinide series elements and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       3. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 1 wherein the said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [001], [010] or [100]. 
     
     
       4. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 1 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [010]. 
     
     
       5. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 1 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [001]. 
     
     
       6. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 1 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [100]. 
     
     
       7. The laser rod of claim 1, wherein said laser rod is at least one centimeter in diameter and 10 centimeters in length. 
     
     
       8. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 2 wherein the impurity ion that functions as a laser activator comprises a rare earth series element selected from the group consisting of Nd, Er, Tm, Ho, Tb, Pr or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       9. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 2 wherein the impurity ion that functions as a laser activator comprises Nd. 
     
     
       10. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 2 wherein the impurity ion that functions as a laser activator comprises a first transition series element selected from the group consisting of trivalent Cr, trivalent Ti or mixtures thereof. 
     
     
       11. The doped monocrystalline lantanum orthogallate of claim 2 wherein the impurity ion that functions as a laser activator comprises trivalent uranium. 
     
     
       12. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 2 wherein the said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [001], [010] or [100]. 
     
     
       13. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 2 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [010]. 
     
     
       14. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 2 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [001]. 
     
     
       15. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 2 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [100]. 
     
     
       16. The laser rod of claim 2, wherein said laser rod is at least one centimeter in diameter and 10 centimeters in length. 
     
     
       17. The monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 8 wherein the rare earth series impurity ion that functions as a laser activator in said crystal is present in a ratio relative to lanthanum ion of from about 1:0 to about 1:500. 
     
     
       18. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 8 wherein the rare earth series element is Nd and the Nd:La ratio in said crystal is from 1:0 to 1:500. 
     
     
       19. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 8 wherein the rare earth series element is Nd and the Nd:La ratio in said crystal is from about 1:50 to about 1:200. 
     
     
       20. The doped monocrystalline orthogallate of claim 8 wherein the said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [001], [010] or 100]. 
     
     
       21. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 8 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [010]. 
     
     
       22. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 8 wherein said crystallographic direction is an orientation of [001]. 
     
     
       23. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 8 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [100]. 
     
     
       24. The laser rod of claim 8, wherein said laser rod is at least one centimeter in diameter and 10 centimeters in length. 
     
     
       25. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 9 wheren said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [001], [010] or [100]. 
     
     
       26. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 9 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [010]. 
     
     
       27. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 9 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [001]. 
     
     
       28. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 9 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [001]. 
     
     
       29. The laser rod of claim 9, wherein said laser rod is at least one centimeter in diameter and 10 centimeters in length. 
     
     
       30. The monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 10 wherein the trivalent transition element impurity that functions as a laser activator in said crystal is present in a ratio relative to gallium ions from 1:100 to 1:500. 
     
     
       31. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 10 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [001], [010] or [100]. 
     
     
       32. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 10 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [010]. 
     
     
       33. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 10 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [001]. 
     
     
       34. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 10 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [100]. 
     
     
       35. The laser rod of claim 10, wherein said laser rod is at least one centimeter in diameter and 10 centimeters in length. 
     
     
       36. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 11 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [001], [010] or [100]. 
     
     
       37. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 11 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [010]. 
     
     
       38. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 11 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [001]. 
     
     
       39. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 11 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [100]. 
     
     
       40. The laser rod of claim 11, wherein said laser rod is at least one centimeter in diameter and 10 centimeters in length. 
     
     
       41. The monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 17 wherein the ratio of rare earth series impurity ion to lanthanum ion in said crystal is from about 1:50 to about 1:200. 
     
     
       42. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 17 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [001], [010] or [100]. 
     
     
       43. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 17 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [010]. 
     
     
       44. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 17 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [001]. 
     
     
       45. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 17 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [100]. 
     
     
       46. The laser rod of claim 17, wherein said laser rod is at least one centimeter in diameter and 10 centimeters in length. 
     
     
       47. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 41 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [001], [010] or [100]. 
     
     
       48. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 41 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [010]. 
     
     
       49. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 41 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [001]. 
     
     
       50. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 41 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [100]. 
     
     
       51. The laser rod of claim 41, wherein said laser rod is at least one centimeter in diameter and 10 centimeters in length. 
     
     
       52. The monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 30 wherein the ratio of transition element impurity ion to gallium ion in said crystal is from about 1:100 to about 1:500. 
     
     
       53. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum of claim 30 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [001], [010] or [100]. 
     
     
       54. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 30 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [010]. 
     
     
       55. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum of claim 30 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [001]. 
     
     
       56. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 30 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [100]. 
     
     
       57. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 52 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [001], [010] or [100]. 
     
     
       58. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 52 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [010]. 
     
     
       59. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 52 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [001]. 
     
     
       60. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 52 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [100]. 
     
     
       61. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 18 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [001], [010] or [100]. 
     
     
       62. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 18 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [010]. 
     
     
       63. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 18 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [001]. 
     
     
       64. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 18 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [100]. 
     
     
       65. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 19 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [001], [010] or [100]. 
     
     
       66. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 19 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [010]. 
     
     
       67. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 19 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [001]. 
     
     
       68. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claim 19 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation of [100]. 
     
     
       69. The doped monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate of claims 1, 2, 8, 9, 10, 11, 17, 41, 30, 52, 18 or 19 wherein said crystallographic direction has an orientation chosen to minimize thermal effects on the laser rod during active lasing. 
     
     
       70. A boule of monocrystalline lanthanum orthogallate grown from a pure melt along a predetermined crystallographic direction and doped with an impurity ion that functions as a laser activator, said doped lanthanum orthogallate having a wavefront distortion <1/8λ per cm length at the lasing wavelength (λ) and an optical loss <0.005 per cm length. 
     
     
       71. The boule of claim 70, wherein said boule is about 0.7 inch diameter or greater and about 4 inches in length or greater.

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